[Editor's Note: If you're just joining us, Friday’s Top Five is when we boil down your favorite pop culture gems into a quintessential list of all lists. The topic will vary from week to week depending on what’s going on in the world. We may end up with “the stuff that dreams are made of” or maybe just a great coffee table book. At the very least, we'll have fun kicking off the weekend by wasting some time...I mean, helping to contribute to this interactive conversation.]

Movies have been launching armchair astronauts into space for more than 100 years. Georges Méliès, a motion picture pioneer, took audiences on their first sci-fi voyage with 1902's “A Trip to the Moon” long before the Cold War’s Space Race.

This week’s topic crosses multiple genres, including sci-fi, horror, comedy, action and drama; therefore, the candidates to choose from are as vast and boundless as the category itself. Whether you’re partial to Captain Kirk, Luke Skywalker, Duck Dodgers, or even an unforgettable duo like Lone Starr and Barf, get ready to defend your favorites.

Now prepare for the jump to light speed and may the Schwartz be with you as you compile your top five space movies! Here's mine:

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Honorable Mention:
1. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (not in space, but had the best spaceship visuals of all time)
2. 5th Element (because as terrible as this movie was, there was still something endearing about it)
3. The Chronicles of Riddick (Vin Diesel's acting left much to be desired, but the storyline and space-themed cinematography was excellent)
4. Armageddon (the part that actally happened in outer space was great)

** Event Horizon started off promising, but then got WAAAAAY too creepy and end up just plain stupid and therefore did not make my list.

All of you on here have a great list of top Scifi films. But the people at CNN are looking for the best space films. That means movies that take place in outerspace with planets, stars and spaceships.I'am going to put down my top 10 films that take place in outerspace. Because I seen alote of good one like from 30 years ago.

1. Star Trek: First Contact
2. 2001 (Far out FX !)
3. Flash Gordon (1980)
4. Right Stuff (Real American Heroes)
5. Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan
6. The Empire Strikes Back
7. Star Wars (1977)
8. It came from Outer Space ('50s with Richard Carlson)
9. Forbidden Planet (classic '50s film that every guy should see, with hottie Anne Francis !)
10.Apollo 13 (love that line – "Houston, we have a problem..."
11. The Thing (1950s film with James "Gunsmoke" Arness as the monster)
12. The Day the Earth stood Still (1950s version, not the horrible remake !)

I agree with most user recommendations (2001 & Moon are A++), including the original 1972 Solaris, if you can suspend your disbelief for nearly 3 hours given the Soviet era SFX, but....stay the HECK away from Silent Running unless you like to watch grass grow for half the film. The script is just as weak as Avatar, but it does have some good SFX.
Space Cowboys has as much right here as Flash Gordon, or Space Balls – pure fantasy or er, comedy.

Just because they happen in space, doesnt make them space movies. Is The Godfather an Earth movie because it happened on Earth? I would lean toward 2001, Moon, Silent Running, (Tarkovsky's) Solaris, Apollo 13.

2001 Odyssey has to be #1. Huge breakthru and still unparalleled. But I only see "Marz" adding "Contact", by Carl Sagan, also unparalleled and a must for any list like this, along with the original "Planet of the Apes".

1) ANY of the Star Wars movies
2)Most of the Star Trek movies
3)The Black Hole
4)Alien
5)Flash Gordon
Thats my list and for those who dont think Star Wars should get the top billing all i can say is look at the amount the Movies brought in total. More than any of the others...

Anyone who says The Right Stuff should not be on this list, let alone number one on that list, is smoking crack. If it hadn't been for the events portrayed in that film the rest of films would have no context or significance.

While I have a great deal of respect for Aliens, I have even greater respect for its predecessor Alien. I consider Alien to be one of the greatest gothic science fiction films ever made. You rarely see such quality today.

Flash Gordon??? Set the bong down and back away. Enemy Mine of Krull were better than Flash Gordon!
Surprised Buck Rogers or Barbarella weren't on that list.
Space Cowboys, Apollo 13, one of the various Star Trek's, Spaceballs, Forbidden Planet... couldn't come up with something better than Flash Gordon?

Star Wars – Belongs on the list, but Empire Strikes Back is a better movie and certainly does too.
Aliens – Alien is a better movie, period. Why does alomst every Cameron movie feature a squad of stereotypical jarheads?
Flash Gordon – Doesn't even warrant an honorable mention. Might as well include Battle Beyond the Stars and Krull if you're going to include this dreck.

Not for nothing, but Planet of the Apes was a space movie until the very last scene. That, Forbidden Planet, 2001, Star Wars (1977), and Destination: Moon round out my list (in no particular order). Flash Gordon was just *bad*, in my opinion.

Really impressed with the folks who mentioned "Outland". To me, it's always been the best example of what real outer space settlement would look like. Yes, it's "High Noon" in space, but on the other hand it's a real gritty blue collar mining operation with corrupt local officials fighting a federal law enforcement authority. Take away the space ships and space suits and it's just good, realistic drama. Very few space movies can really make that "it could happen" claim.

How about "The Day the Earth Stood Still." The original, not that execrable remake with Keanu Reeves. And how about the granddaddy of them all, the one that started it all, "Forbidden Planet." An absolute class that still stands up very well 60 years later. "Flash Gordon?" You've got to be kidding me! Cheesey, campy, stupidly entertaining, but certainly not one of the greatest of all time.

Absolutely disagree with that list, accept for 2001. Star Wars was the beginning of the dark era of death and destruction instead of a future of hope and the power of technology. Aliens was just plain Horror. Blood and guts with suspense. The Right Stuff might have been about the business of being an astronaut but it wasn't even sci fi. Other people have listed much better SciFi movies in this forum.

Heres my list:
2001- one of the best movies of all time. Period.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (the original, not the Keannu Reeves re-make)
Apollo 13
The original War of the Worlds (1957)
Alien (The original-although the sequel is pretty good too)
Honorable Mention: 2010, The Right Stuff, Star Wars ( the first 3 only), Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan

Wow, what a terrible list. I loved the Star Wars movies, but they were terrible "space" movies. There is no sound in space but Star Wars had far too much. Putting Flash Gordon on the list takes away all credibility from the author. At least the greatest space movie of all time, 2001, is on the list at number 5.

If we're throwing Flash Gordon up there, guess we should add Airplane II, Lost in Space, and Battlefield Earth. Seriously, it would be pretty tough to grind down a list to five space movies and end up with Flash in the four spot. Apollo 13 must have drawn a bad seed and got bumped in an early round.

Did you actually put "Flash Gordon" on this list! I'm pretty sure I can randomly pick a dozen space movies that would be for superior to this joke. About the only decent thing in this move was the Queen soundtrack.

space cowboys.......what? huh? did i just say that out loud....old men in space.....lol...oh man im losing it....i just saw a movie it seems nobody mentioned .....i dont even like this one.....lets see....Alien is way better than the sequel, Armageddon was junk, Apollo 13 i hear is an awesome movie but i would not know cuz i keep falling asleep during it, Starship Troopers...hahaha.... i enjoyed it for the bugs and over the top-ness but no....The last Starfighter....good mention, Space Oddysey 2001/2010... i am sure they were astounding and all but again fell asleep....snoozers!!!, and all i can say about Flash Gordon is ......NO.

There are some movies I recalling seeing the theatres in the 1970's which I can not find out if they even exist anymore. One had a moon life setting where the main character was an illegal cargo smuggler and he had a space ship that looked like the lunar lander except he did not leave the base behind. The rock song Frankenstein was the theme song for the movie and the main plot was an asteroid made mostly out of Diamonds and a gangster who lived on the moon contracted him make it crash on his part of the moon. Second was a mission to mars movie where man landed for the first time and found giant sunflowers that reflected the lethal rays of the sun and cooked the men. And then when a mysterious asteroid landed on the planet they could not lift off and inorder to be allowed to leave one of them had to be given over to the asteroid occupants. That was a good and scary one.

Has anyone else seen the very early comic sci-fi gem by a young George Lucas called "Dark Star", which includes the ship commander trying to "talk down" a renegade mega-atomic planet-destroying bomb using existential philosophy.....Absolutely brilliant and hysterical. The run-down space ship is probably what real ships will look like, not bright clean and white like those seen in Star Trek or Star Wars. One of my favorites, which also include Apollo 13, Alien, 2001, and Forbidden Planet.

Sorry, but Dark Star is NOT a George Lucas movie. No relationship with him at all. It's actually a John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon film. Dan O'Bannon went on to co-write Aline, and Dark Star is considered the "catalyst" that got Dan to write Alien. Dark Star is a dark comedy/sci-fi flick. Dan wanted a more serious movie with the alien being the central character in the film. That's where Alien came from....the need for a more serious and much higher budgeted film.

I have the DVD that has both the original theatrical release and the Special Edition.

Another one they missed is the most provoking of all, 1951's "The Day the Earth Stood Still." Michael Rennie was there to tell Patricia Neal "Klaatu barada nikto." Gort would not be happy about this omission.

Yeah, well, "Gort" (or whatever) wasn't too cool with the idea of playing second fiddle to a grade "B" British movie "actor" either. That cheesy, hokey *ss movie was so bad... how do you spell ... l-o-w b-u-d-g-e-t.

I guess Neil Armstrong's “one small step for a man” film doesn’t even rate an ‘honorable mention” (beat out by "Spacecamp" and "The Last Starfighter" LOL) in a contest of “Top Space Movies”. Now I see why the US space program is toes up.

You should be alone. Alien was a much better movie, with better acting. It kept you on the edge of your seat with constant chills. Aliens was just a really good horror/monster flick set in space with little depth or story compared with its predecessor. But I'll give you points back for picking The Last Starfighter for an honorable mention. That's an underappreciated classic!

The Alien series is really just a horror movie, so Aliens doesn't belong on the list. If you want to have Sigourney Weaver on the list, you should consider Galaxy Quest, which is better any any of the Star Trek movies it satirizes.

Flash Gordon, a remake of the old space opera serial, does not belong on the list either. You would have done better to include Dune (with Kyle MacLachlan and Sting), which is visually striking even though it probably doesn't make sense unless you have read the book. Back to Flash Gordon, it is really Star Wars that really captures the feel of the old-time serial in a modern movie, and without being a remake.

If The Right Stuff belongs on the list, then Apollo 13 should be there, too.

Forbidden Planet is an early but still watchable science fiction movie, with the best production values attainable at the time it was made. It would be required in any course on space movies.

No, author: you're not alone in thinking "Aliens" is superior to "Alien," but you *are* incorrect. Cameron's sequel is a great sci-fi action film, make no mistake. It's a minor classic in its own right. But the original "Alien," directed by Ridley Scott, is a true masterpiece of oppressive mood, incredible production (and creature) design, and originality of concept and story. Unlike its sequel–a sort of rock'em sock'em "squad" movie–"Alien" is a movie that captures the terror and wonder of space.

Okay, I love the band Queen and I love the movie Flash Gordon. But I love it because it's a BAD MOVIE. It is not in any possible way one of the best space movies of all time. It's also not even one of the best "bad sci fi" movies out there. How is Flash Gordon better than "Starship Troopers"? It had two sequels!

It's also INSULTING that Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan did not make this list. It's a classic and is considered the best Trek film by pretty much everybody.

I do concur on Star Wars and Aliens. However, Alien deserves to be there before Aliens does because of how groundbreaking it was. No one ever painted space as gritty blue collar place to be before Alien. This same grittiness can also be seen in Sean Connery's underrated "Outland", which also made clear the connection between space faring sci fi and the western (space ships and wookies aside, they're basically the same genre. Seriously, challenge me on this if you don't believe me as I've got evidence up the wazoo to prove this thesis).

So, this list is wack, the writer lacks knowledge of sci fis impact on popular culture and it's relationship to other genres.

Shocked there is no love for "Enemy Mine" – a really good story with parallels to war today. The idea of dehumanizing an enemy, enemy's turning into friends...and a coming to an understanding of universality of freedom and sentience. A great story, with some cheesy special effects, but a good story nonetheless.

Flash Gordon? The Right Stuff? The Last Starfighter? Your list sucks. The writer probably doesn't even like space movies. Everyone knows that the Wrath of Kahn is DEFINITELY in the top 5....
Starship Troopers
The Fifth Element.... also deserve mention

"The Last Starfighter" was such a cool movie. My boys had that VHS tape in their "favorites" rack.. a good one to watch on snowdays, too hot days, sick days, whenever! We all loved "Grigg" and his laugh. Alex Rogan was a good role model too.

No Josh, you're not alone in your thoughts about Alien vs Aliens. I believe Aliens was WAAYYY better than Alien in almost every way. Except Newt. GOD I wish they didn't have Newt. "They mostly come out at night... mostly". Stupid accent ruined it.

1962 Czech Sci-Fi "IKARIE XB 1" directed by Jindrich Polak was named(30 years ago) by the British Magazine Sight and Sound superior to 2001:Space Odyssey.The story line is not dissimilar to Star Track, but many yeare earlier. Today the great mid-century 60's art direction looks very hip again, and all the roles are taken by top Czech actors of the period. Check out parts of it on YouTube. Criterion Collection will finally bring it to US theaters and DVD.

"Forbidden Planet" is a classic 1950s space sci-fi that should be on a top 5 list. This movie introduced the concept of warp drive and featured one of the first robots ('Robby') with artificial intelligence. The extraterrertrial technology was astounding for it's time and the monster (dredged from Dr. Morbius' mind) would have eaten alien and predator for breakfast. The concept of a machine that could immediately transcribe thought into mass (objects) and how that was ultimately controlled by the unconscious mind (leading to total destruction) is way ahead of almost anything before or after, and for these reasons 'Forbidden Planet' gets my vote (Oh, and Anne Francis too !)

The very first space movie I remember as a kid was Earth VS the Flying Saucers. A Ray Harryhausen masterpiece. Got me hooked on scifi. And who can leave off Forbidden Planet. Don't kick Robbie the Robot to the curb!

I LOVED Earth vs Flying Saucers !! That is also one of the first sci-fi movies I remember from my youth. And Forbidden Planet ABSOLUTELY belongs on a top-5 sci-fi list ! (See my post a little further down !) Daves know best, I guess .. lol

I think you forgot the most memorable movie that was actually the start of space flight "October Sky" which mentions Marshall Space Center's Director Wernher von Braun as the influence for the main character of the movie Homer Hickman. Remember the crowd in front of the Hickman home watching Sputnik flying across the night sky?

I think a "space" movie should include space as a character in the film. Cold, airless, black and impossibly endless, "space" should impact the plot and affect the characters' actions.
1. 2001: A Space Oddyssey
2. Aliens
3. Silent Running
4. Marooned
5. Apollo 13

@ Julio–loved Ice Pirates as a kid... you, sir, are among the film elite in my book.

1–Star Trek (2, 6, 8, and the reboot are the best)
2–Star Wars (ep 4 for the younglings out there)
3–Flash Gordon (another fav when I was a kid, hard to watch nowadays)
4–Apollo 13 (epic tale of guts and the American way before we lost it)
5–Wall*E (Pixar has done little wrong, save A Bug's Life and both Cars flicks)

HM: Last Starfighter–my 9 yr old just watched it for the first time this past weekend, and even he said it was awesome.

Agreed. Of course to try and cash in on the series Glen Larson recut the pilot and first episode into a feature length movie. I hate to admit it ... but I really liked the reboot series as well. I started watching it in order to be able to have an informed reason for disliking it but ended up loving that series too!!!! 🙂

I must admit, I think the original Alien was more suspense whereas Aliens was more of an action flick. I prefer Alien simply for the atmosphere. I also would like to say that 2001, while one of the best movies ever, is a bit of a snoozer – it's more art film than straight-up sci-fi. I like it, but watching it is a major commitment. To those who think that Starship Troopers and Armageddon were great, I can't even fathom why you'd think so. The only thing I remember about Starship Troopers is a ton of gratuitous decapitations and some truly horrendous dialog. Armageddon.....let's just say I couldn't even make it through to the launch, it was so bad. To each their own, though.

"Marooned" gets little credit; hardly anyone remembers it, but it was terrific. Gregory Peck, Gene Hackman, James Franciscus, Richard Crenna, David Janssen and Lee Grant in a story of an Apollo shot that goes bad. Excllent all the way around.

Daniel, well, it simply proves we all have differences in tastes. I think 2001 and especially Forbidden Planet are two of the greatest of all time. But, that's simply my opinion, though there are a lot who seem to agree.

For me, it's 2001: A Space Odyssey, with (most) everything else a distant second. The first, and still one of the very few, to get the technical details right (no sounds in a vacuum, for example). Incredible visuals for the late 60s and a great story by Clarke.

I'd give honorable mention to Silent Running, which is more of a cult classic with Bruce Dern. It's just a cool movie and really the same concept as Alien many years before Alien. It was a TV movie but worth watching.

With the exception of 2001: Space Odyssey (painfully low on the chart I might add), this is probably the worst top 5 list I have ever seen. Then again, I expected it to be bad coming from a news network.

You know, one movie that shaped my love for all things Sci-fi, and imo one very underrated movie, is 1979's "The Black Hole". I mean you want to talk about a great space movie, the whole thing happens in space! And name me anyone who didn't shed a tear when Bob and Vincent took on Maximillion near the end of the movie. That flick instilled a love of that genre of movie in me that i still have, and now i have passed it on to my children.

Assuming that a requirement for list is that a significant portion of the movie took place in _space_, then lots of wonderful films don't qualify in this category: Blade Runner, ET, The Right Stuff, etc.

You are absolutely alone in thinking that Aliens was better. Alien (the original) was great because, when you in a small space, like a tube, and your friends are screaming: "its getting closer"! You look around and can not see it until you look down, and find it comming up the tube to kill you. That was some scarry stuff in a large dark 1980's theater.

Also, when someone is sitting at the table eating and feels a gas bubble rising from his stomach, you kind of push away from the table, and draw your guns. what ever is comming out better be just gas.

In Aliens, they had a budget to do the movie some real justice. It was filmed in better quality, but you kind of expected the eggs, the aliens, and all of the other horrible stuff that could happen. It was not a surprise, but it was good. In the third one, you might as well call it Aliens 3 "the search for more money"

Did we forget about some movie called "Apollo 13", huge cast, compelling real life story unlike Aliens and Flash Gordan, plus two of the three honorable mentions I'd never heard of. Why not throw in Spaceballs, while your at it?

Some of the movies listed besides the original author's are great Scifi movies, but not necessarily great 'SPACE' movies. I agree with most that the exclusion of any of the Star Trek movies is an oversight. My list would look something like this (again, following the argument of this being a great SPACE movie list):

1. Star Wars (not as good as ESB, but much more space action)
2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey
4. Aliens (liked this much better than the original)
5. Star Trek VI – The Undiscovered Country

Note: Loved Flash Gordon, again, not sure if it qualifies as a Space Movie. While the action is certainly otherworldly, it does not technically take place in what we no as space.

@Andulamb, You should read the Dark Horse comic Aliens. Its totally what you were thinking of. Supposedly this was supposed to be Alien 3, but then there were all these franchise rights blah blah blah. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens_%28comic_book%29

Flash Gordon? PU! Id say Right Stuff and Star Wars are interchangeable at top spot, one historic the other fantasy/fiction. As for Flash G, how could it possibly beat out Forbidden Planet, Wrath of Khan or Apollo 13?

When 'Wired' magazine asked producers, directors and "techies" several years ago for their favorite SciFi movie, it was, hands-down Blade Runner. I still agree. It has a great cast, action, suspense, and a view of a gritty, dark future...very much in keeping with what this planet will probably end up like. But, it still had heart and hope as well. THIS list is a joke.

Who (at least of those who saw the movie in the theater, not many years later on DVD) will ever forget the tag line, "In space, no one can hear you scream?" Alien...what a great, imaginative, unparalleled (at the time) movie.

I immediately thought of The Andromeda Strain. I watched it in my high school anatomy class, and I remember being completely riveted, while my classmates slept (admittedly, I'm a bit of a nerd). Thinking back, I don't really remember if space had anything to do with it at all...

Also have to agree with WALL•E and The Fifth Element. Both great movies.

My submission for worst space movie: Battlefield Earth. What a massively awful fail of a movie.

"Flash Gordon"? You gotta be kidding me. There are much better "space" movies than this. And although Blade Runner is one of my ATFs, it's really not a "space" movie, it's Sci-Fi, it all takes place on Earth. Here's some of my favs

Original Star Wars Trilogy
Outland (Sean Connery, really underrated film IMHO)
Alien and Aliens ("Game over, man, game over!" one of the most classic lines, ever)
Spaceballs ("Use the Schwartz!")

Alien was genuine unknown space SCARY. Never got a clear look at it. Not sure what it even was till almost the end. Totally alien, who could have thought of something like that. Brillant movie making. The sequels were space action cowboy and indian stuff.

Right on, LouAz. Alien was definitely ground-breaking in the same way The Exorcist was in its genre. For pure entertainment, I enjoyed Aliens more, but Alien was definitely a great movie. Didn't care that much for the rest of them.

How could "Apollo 13" not be on this list??? And "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan???" And you put "Flash Gordon" on this list instead of either film?

"Alien" and "Aliens" were too different kinds of films. The first relied on suspense and the unknown to jolt the audience. The film still gives me the creeps. The second was an all-out action flick. Both are outstanding on their own terms.

Five Space Faves:
1. Apollo 13- Murphy's Law in space- with a vengeance! But NASA team's ingenuity saves the day.
2. The Right Stuff- great movie about the early space program. You feel you were right there with the guys.
3. Starship Troopers- space marines glory, blood and guts story from science fiction author Robert Heinlein.
4. Alien-terrifying. glued to my seat. Ripley-space heroine-kicks alien butt!
5. Deep Impact-great special effects. Especially the tsunami that ate New York.

"Dutchy
..." No mention of Forbidden Planet or Robinson Crusoe on Mars. How can one take this list serious."

"Forbidden Planet "has been mentioned several times, stunning film for it's time and still mind boggling. "Robinson Crusoe on Mars"? Yes. Also agree with those recommending the original (and only the original) "Planet of the Apes," which was a real ground breaker.

you're not alone in considering Cameron's sequel to be better than Scott's original Alien (i too feel that way) but you are crazy to be leaving the best space film off of the list, one of the greatest masterpieces of all of cinema in Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972, metaphysical masterpiece SOLARIS.

I completely agree. Tarkovsky's "Solaris" was nothing short of breathtaking. After looking at the imdb I remember one of my favorite sections of dialogue in the film was this: "Science? Nonsense! In this situation mediocrity and genius are equally useless! I must tell you that we really have no desire to conquer any cosmos. We want to extend the Earth up to its borders. We don't know what to do with other worlds. We don't need other worlds. We need a mirror. We struggle to make contact, but we'll never achieve it. We are in a ridiculous predicament of man pursuing a goal that he fears and that he really does not need. Man needs man!"

I love that Apollo 13 was left off the list. What Ron Howard did to the legacies of Deke Slayton and the flight surgeons by turning them into a bunch of bumbling idiots was a complete abomination and completely ruined the movie. These men were responsible for making sure the astronauts on the flight crews were the best of the best and were all absolutely exemplary in their job performances.

Each of the original four Alien movies is original and brilliant in its own way. They great thing that Fox did was to give each film to a great new director and writer, and so each is different (and should be judged on its own merit). Alien is a great atmosopheric horror film from Ridley Scott (the precursor to his even more brilliant Blade Runner). Aliens is a great character-driven action movie, the kind of incredible fusion that James Cameron did so well in the 80's. Alien 3 is a dark, moody, fatalistic piece–typical of David Fincher at his best. And Alien Resurrection has the whimsy of Jean-Pierre Jeunet mixed with the a great proto-Firefly crew from writer Joss Whedon. Each a great film, but for different reasons. Comparisons really aren't fair.

I have a feeling the same people who are saying "Maid in Manhattan" and similar movies belong on this list will be the ones complaining that "Lost in Space" didn't make the top 5 Chick Flicks.

C'mon, people, this list is about SPACE movies. Now, if someone had complained that Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back wasn't on the list, I'd at least see their point...although that isn't the same kind of "space".

Patman, I agree. Sunshine w/ the excellent Mark Strong as a maniac starship captain had the best lines in any sci-fi movie. How can you beat a psychotic Mark Strong saying:
At the end of time, a moment will come when just one man remains. Then the moment will pass. Man will be gone. There will be nothing to show that we were ever here... but stardust.

As many other agree, Apollo 13 should be on the list and NOT Flash Gordon. It was too stupid to be campy therefore not enjoyable. What about "Silent Running", other Star Wars and a couple of Star Trek movies, (especially the most recent one), "Forbidden Planet"? Although "Sapce Camp" has outer space scenes, isn't it mostly earthbound? You might as well add "Independence Day" and "Armaggedon" to my list. know we all have our favorites but this list is rank.

There is a lot of room for debate on here. But I agree with those who are talking about the failure to put Apollo 13 in the list. Along with 2001, it is an essential core on this list. I like the Right Stuff; certainly it has a lot of great lines in it ("No Bucks, no Buck Rogers"), but it covers so many characters and such a broad range of material, its hard to get emotionally invested in it... still, I think a strong case can be made for it. Though, I love them, I am actually going to argue against Star Wars and Star Trek II. While set in space, neither film really makes space integral to the plot (You could set Star Wars at sea, with the Death Star being a super powerful warship, and it plays mostly the same way... ditto Star Trek II.).

I have to agree, the NYOOOOO!!! made you end the movie with a bad taste in your mouth. It was as bad as when Anakin finds out Padamine's (Is that the right person?) pregnant and pretends to act troubled, but happy. Terrible acting! Overall, the movie was epic, but was weighed down be stuff like that.

Flash Gordon and 2001 Space Odyssey? Admittedly, 2001 had great special effects and had a profound influence on a lot of people, but in reality, it was poorly written, poorly acted and except for the special effects, would have been a "B" movie. And Flash Gordon??? What the... that movie was a joke! I can think of a hundred sci fi movies that were better than either one of those.

It's actually funny that you say this because while the special effect were far superior to anything of the time the story was also perfect. Kubrick never meant for there to be a lot of dialogue, instead it was replaced by symbolism. I was lucky enough to have taken a Science Fiction class that went over this movie in great detail and after that everything else is number 2 and below because this is a masterpiece.

This list: not written by a hard core sci-fi fan. The inclusion of "Flash Gordon" (1980's version) was a dead give away. Not to mention "Space Camp" and, speaking of "camp"...The Last Starfighter. This is the best list this guy could come up with?

Okay, that was a cool show about getting lost in the Bermuda Triangle back in 1977. But what about Fantastic Voyage? That's the movie in which I wore my blood diamond! I'm in touch with my inner space, but obviously you are not!

How Star Trek (Wrath, Voyage, Undiscovered, First Contact... take your pick) is not mentionned is an attrocity. It was probably the inspiration for getting a large majority of NASA scientists interested in space to begin with. Plus no Apollo 13!!! Agree with Right Stuff and Star Wars. Flash Gordon!!! Give me a break...

I agree – In my book ST IV earns the nod over ST II. I also like Empire Strikes Back from the Star Wars group. How about Moonraker or Deep Impact? Also, while I agree it is a stretch to include Flash on the list, I liked it and am partial to anything with Topol in it (except my toothpaste).

Star Trek IV was okay; neither great nor terrible, but very much a one-trick pony, i.e. "let's have a laugh at the future people misunderstanding our present day world." It played more like a comedy than a science-fiction movie.

RotS loses points for me from the huge departure from logic the movie takes in the second half. Anakin wants to save Padme, right, I get that. And in a moment of desperation he acts to preserve the life of the one man he figures can do that for him; I can buy that too. But then to willingly become a cold-blooded killer who slaughters anyone and anything, including friends, comrades, and children without even a moment's hesitation? No moment where the heat of the moment passes and he thinks, "Holy crap. What have I done? I have to stop this before it gets worse!" Or at the very least, "OK, this is bad...I need to get Padme, find the fastest ship out of here, and just disappear forever. I'll find my own way to save her!" Riiiiight.

Or a woman who led an entire planet for several terms, guided her world through an occupation and war, and held a seat in the Imperial Senate, is such a wilting flower that she loses the will to live, because Anakin goes bad. No believing she could turn him around at some point, no living for the sake of her UNBORN CHILDREN, just giving up. "Anakin...you're breaking my heart!" Padme, you're breaking my brain!

Nobody mentioned Avatar Seriously?. Also the Abyss.
Serenity. (I miss Firefly)
2001 and 2010 was also terrific.
All of the Aliens movies had something going on but the first 2 were the best.
Independence day was fun.

Excuse me, but I don't see the grand daddy (and best sci-fi) of them all, "Forbidden Planet," 1956. Still the best science fiction (space) movie of them all, hands down! ...thanks in advance for adding it to your list.

You are totally wrong!! 2001 Space Odyssey belongs at the TOP of that list. Star Wars maybe, but The Empire Strikes Back was way Superior. Alien was better than Aliens...and Flash Gordon???? You are an idiot!

SpaceCamp sucked! It was not even CLOSE to being accurate! The flight crew is on board during ET loading/main engine firing and children would NEVER be allowed anywhere NEAR it! That stupid little robot could NEVER have effected a launch, no matter WHAT it did!

...It's worth mention one of the greatest sci movies..it is "Forbidden Planet" ( 1956 ). The great actor Leslie Nielsen has played also. When you look that movie which has been made 55 years ago you will be impressed how fantastic it is...

There are a lot of space movies being overlooked, especially for today's shuttle launch...
What about Space Cowboys? I thought Clint and the gang did a good job.
And I agree with Apollo 13, as well as Wrath of Khan. Any good Trekkie appreciates the first time, ship to ship battle at close range was done within the ST realm!

You Trekkies make me sick...Flash Gordon could kick Kirk's butt, and throw a long bomb TD pass, ANDDD get girls that aren't blue.

Great list; How about these?

1. E.T. This movie makes me cry every time
2. Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind...I can't get those 5 notes out of my head
3. Total Recall "Damn it Kohagen, give these people their air!!!"
4. Apollo 13...I agree with Ron Howard up there, even though Tom Hanks' sideburns freak me out
5. Stargate...it's the only movie I've ever seen where James Spader plays a good guy and it's better than the 5th Element

2001, A Space Odyssey, placed below first, or at worst second, place is bizzare, to say the least. Who's writing these lists? What are they smokin'? How old are they? Not a matter of opinion: Simple fact.

Agree on inclusion of Apollo 13 just for historical art (as JFK should be in the top 5 presidential movies, regardless of one's politics). HOWEVER, the biggest flaw of this list HAS to be 2001 not being number 1. Here's my argument:
1. '68!! Had a space station orbitting earth (2001 was the year of the decommission of MIR and handover to ISS)
2. '68!! 2003 beta version of Skype released to public. When I saw this movie for the first time about 1990, i thought "yeah, right: video phone. Whatever." This guy had it going on.
3. '68!! 2004 the first orbiter of Saturn arrived, launched in 97. Granted, it wasn't manned, but still. This guy had it going on.

Another thing that I always like to add when referring to how well Kubrick did with 2001 is that he got the image of the earth almost perfect even though no one had ever seen it from space at that point in time.

Aliens: It was a slow day at work and the boss was out of town, so we shut down the office and went to an afternoon matinee. Definitely one of the few sequels that's as good as or maybe even better than the original.

Agreed that Star Wars should have been first, and that there needed to be something from the Star Trek franchise. I would go with either Wrath of Kahn, or surprisingly, the newest Start Trek movie – what a ride that was. But I certainly agree with the choice of Aliens – great film.

I'd vote for "Moon", Duncan Jones' first movie, for psychological tension, keeping me guessing to the end, and portraying space (well, the moon, but whatever) as I think it would really be: cold, lonely, quiet, somewhat creepy.

WHAT?? No Apollo 13?? No Spaceballs?? No OUTLAND or Santa Claus Conquers the Martians??? How about Howard the DUCK/?? List is just so LACKING!!!!! HA HA HA..Flash Gordon?? Really?? Then why not tell us that Plan 9 from Outer Space is a OSCAR WINNER>>>

2001: a space odyssey was the most surreal movie when i saw it five times in1968. Back then, we all hoped that 2001 will be the year where technology will give us the space station rotating and creating artificial gravity..

Both Alien and Aliens are great, but they are different kinds of movies. Alien is much more realistic, and thus is very slow-paced. Aliens is more in line with today's sci-fi/action movies. Then there's Alien 3, which ruined the franchise. I like to pretend it doesn't exist. I'm sorry, but you don't make an entire movie about rescuing someone, and then kill that person off at the beginning of the next movie. Just dump all over the preceeding movie, why don't you. Furthermore, there was a build up from Alien to Aliens - from one alien to a slew of aliens. Alien 3 should have upped the ante again by having an alien hitch a ride to earth. An alien running amok on a prison planet? Who cares?

I liked Alien 3. It was pretty good. At was Alien Resurrection (4) that was too much. I liked Winona Ryder in it but some of the stuff in it was stupid. Alien is classic. There is so much suspense because we don't see the alien during most of the movie. And Aliens is awesome because Ripley kicks butt in it.

Starship Troopers should have gotten an honorable mention, and as mkleve says, it is nowhere close to the book. Campy fun with plenty of action, gore, and even some T&A. The two sequels, however, were absolutely horrible!

Are you kidding?! "Flash Gordon" makes the list, but nary a mention of Star Trek? Ok, there are some crap ST movies out there, but 'Wrath of Khan' is outstanding.
And kudos on Last Starfighter getting at least an honorable mention!
And The Right Stuff was good, but there is NO topping the original Star Wars.....unless you mean the short 'Hardware Wars!'

I love the Friday Top Five! Give me something to look forward to every week. You are spot-on this week with the Top 5. I also have to agree that the sequel to Aliens was better than the original – only movie I can say that for. Keep up the great work and I'll look forward to next weeks. "Funny, she doesn't look druish"!!

Sorry but you are dead wrong! 2001 is by far the best science fiction film of all time – Kubrick and Clarke were geniuses! Also, the first Alien pic is better than the second and the 3rd is best of all 4. I do agree that Apollo 13 deserves to be on the list.

You can't have a list of space movies without Apollo 13 – in my opinion it's a classic at least for space enthusiasts. A pretty good timing for this list as we are witnessing the historic closure in the shuttle missions.

I agree with Apollo 13 being worthy of this list. I like that Flash Gordon made the list, though. I just watched it the other night, after the wife and daughter fell asleep. Great soundtrack! Blade Runner was great, but all of the action took place on Earth, so it shouldn't be on a list of Space movies, as some people suggest. Star Wars A New Hope is a classic, though any of that trilogy are worthy. I'm also glad The Last Starfighter made the list, as it is one of my favorites.

Morbius. Morbius! Something is coming this way, it is now quite close!

Yes, Christopher, I agree. Surely Forbidden Planet rates above the camp comedy Flash Gordon.. And The Right Stuff was a brilliant exposition of fifties American can-do culture, but not really a space movie.

Empire strikes back blows the original star wars out of the water. AT-ATs and boba fett > picking up power converters from the tashi station.

Alien is far more suspenseful and effectively done than it's sequel, hands down. I'll take the chestburster scene over newt's high pitched screaming any day... besides... Ridley Scott > James Cameron, I suppose this is mostly subjective... mostly.

What really throws me is this spacecamp nomination.... I'd have put Explorers (three kids make a spaceship out of a tilt-a-whirl), on the list before spacecamp! Both sucked but River > Joaquin, and besides.. neither are worthy of pushing spaceballs out of mention.

I've gotta put my 2 cents in here. By any standard, 2001 has to top the list. It was the first real attempt to show an audience the possibilities of space exploration (and in color). I would have to go with APOLLO 13 next. It was also about the possibilities of space exploration going 'not so good,' and it really happened. Next would be The ANDROMEDA STRAIN. Numbers 4 & 5 are a toss up for me. One would be CLOSE ENCOUNTERS-about the possibilities of space exploration that will eventually happen, and finally ARMAGEDDON, for the same reason.

Alien was far superior to aliens. Forget about the fact that sequals are never better. It depends on the audience, if you're a teenager who spends hours every day playing video games and you think starship troopers is a good movie, then yes, aliens was better. Also, how can anyone put the right stuff above classics like 2001, star wars and empire? These were ground breaking original movies

I disagree that Aliens, Star Wars, and Flash Gordon are even space movies. But more to the point Flosh Gordon sucked. No question. It really sucked. Adding Flash Gordon and not Apollo 13 makes this list a joke.

I guess we could spend all night and STILL find the one or the the other forgotten "must have" movie.

I just remembered one which i think deserves mentioning, it's "Silent Running" . It's old, but if you haven't seen it you should. And of course, there is NO way to make a SciFi/space list without mentioning Star Trek. And if we're at it..what about BSG? 🙂